3D Robotics

3D Robotics is an American company headquartered in Berkeley, California^[1] that designs and manufactures commercial and recreational unmanned aerial vehicles. Specifically, it has produced consumer drones, ready-to-fly quadcopters for aerial photography and mapping, and fixed wing UAVs based on the Ardupilot platform. As of September, 2016, 3D Robotics and the major open source Ardupilot development community separated due to disagreements over the license of the open source code which 3D Robotics products are based upon. ^[2]

3D Robotics was co-founded in 2009 by Chris Anderson (3D Robotics CEO) and Jordi Muñoz (3D Robotics President).^[3] Author and entrepreneur Chris Anderson and Mexican engineer Jordi Muñoz met online through the DIY drones community, which was originally started by Chris Anderson for aerial vehicle enthusiasts.^[4][5] Muñoz, a 20-year-old Mexican immigrant who had just arrived in the United States, was waiting for a green card, so he passed time by building a drone prototype in his garage out of a video gaming console's remote controls. When Anderson read the online updates and saw the prototype's designs, he sent a $500 check to Muñoz and began to collaborate with him.

3D Robotics currently employs approx. 20 people with HQ in Berkeley and Customer Service in Tijuana. 3D Robotics is one of the founding members of Dronecode.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

SOLO Drone. Released in May 2015 and marketed by 3D Robotics as the smartest drone ever. It is marketed at both the consumer and professional aerial photography market. It is powered by two computers and designed specifically for the GoPro Hero camera. The aim with the SOLO drone is simplicity for both flying and taking professional aerial photos and video.^[6]

Chris Anderson, Co-Founder & CEO of 3D Robotics

IRIS+ Drone. Released in September 2014 and is designed for the recreational drone market. With the GoPro camera fitted, it can capture some aerial photos and videos. This UAV comes ready to fly, is much faster than other RC drones and has a much longer range. It can travel at 40 miles per hour and reach distances of up to 3,280 feet. This quadcopter has some advanced technology including Follow Me, Auto Mission Planning, Geo Fence and Live View.^[7]

X8 Quadcopter. Released in November 2014, the X8 quadcopter has a modular design and comes in 2 versions. The X8+ with gimbal and GoPro camera is aimed towards aerial photography and cinematography. The X8-M quadcopter is for mapping. The complete X8-M package comes with Canon SX260 camera and the Pix4DMapper^[8] software. Both X8 versions feature advanced waypoint navigation technology.^[9]

AERO-M Fixed Wing UAV. Released in November 2014, the Aero-M is a fully automated mapping platform. It uses the Canon S100 high-resolution 12 MP camera and the image processing Pix4Dmapper Mosaic 3DR Edition software, to create highly accurate, georeferenced and orthorectified mosaics. This fixed wing drone has a flight time of up to 40 minutes and is able to photograph an area of up to 250 acres per flight. The Pix4D software allows for the creation of georeferenced, photogrammetry and orthorectified mosaics from the images. The Aero-M is a commercial UAV with industries such as farming, construction and conservation benefiting from the creation of geo-referenced maps.^[10]

Note: As of November, 2015, 3D Robotics announced that they no longer will produce their "legacy" models which includes all of the above with the exception of Solo.^[11]

Jordi Muñoz Co-Founder & President Of 3D Robotics

Flight Controllers

3DR (3D Robotics) makes professional flight controllers intended for multi-rotor stabilization control of various platforms or heavy payloads in aerial photography, mapping, and personal fun and enjoyment. In addition to the main Pixhawk flight controller model there is also the APM 2.6 model which isn't as robust. Pixhawk is an advanced autopilot system designed by the PX4 open-hardware project and manufactured by 3D Robotics. It features advanced processor and sensor technology from ST Microelectronics® and a NuttX real-time operating system, delivering incredible performance, flexibility, and reliability for controlling any autonomous vehicle. The APM 2.6 is a complete open source autopilot system and the bestselling technology that won the prestigious 2012 Outback Challenge UAV competition. It allows the user to turn any fixed, rotary wing or multirotor vehicle (even cars and boats) into a fully autonomous vehicle; capable of performing programmed GPS missions with waypoints.

Dronecode

3D Robotics along with Yuneec International are founding members of the Dronecode^[12] Opensource UAV Platform, which is a non-profit organisation governed by the Linux Foundation. It was formed in 2014 with the goal of using opensource Linux for the benefit of users with cheaper, better, and more reliable UAV software.^[13] Other notable members are Intel, Qualcomm, Parrot SA and Walkera with funding increasing as new sponsors join.^[14][15]

Investment

Since 2012, 3D Robotics has received funding for research, development and expansion from venture capitalists, technology firms and wealthy individuals:^[16]

• December 2012 - 3DR raise USD 5 million from True Ventures and AlphaTech Ventures.
• September 2013 - 3DR announce a USD 30 million Series B funding from the Foundry Group, True Ventures, AlphaTech Ventures, and SK Ventures.
• September 2014 - 3DR announce an undisclosed investment from Richard Branson^[17]
• February 2015 - 3DR raise USD 50 million led by Qualcomm Ventures, True Ventures, OATV, Mayfield and Shea Ventures
• April 2015 - 3DR raise another USD 14 million which is an expansion on the USD 50 million offering. The additional funding came from WestSummit Capital, SanDisk Ventures and Atlantic Bridge Ventures.

References

External links

• BBC News: The Mexican immigrant who set up a global drone firm